Integrity, transparency, and inclusion European Mediator Aljinho’s recipe for instilling confidence in the EU

Brussels – As it goes through one crisis after another, from the war in Ukraine to U.S. tariffs, from corruption scandals to the challenge of competitiveness, thousands of Europeans still perceive the European Union as unreliable, slow, and distant from its citizens. This is well known by Teresa Aljihno, the Portuguese jurist who has held the position of European Ombudsman since this year and who today (April 9), at the presentation of the priorities of her mandate and the report by her office for 2024, affirmed her strongest commitment to a more transparent EU.

Established in 1995, the European Ombudsman investigates instances of maladministration within EU institutions, bodies, offices, and agencies, acting on its own initiative or responding to complaints from European citizens. The body becomes an even more relevant actor in light of the severe image damage that the Qatargate and Huawei scandals have inflicted on Brussels bodies, which is why Aljinho emphasised the need for greater integrity: “The trust of citizens is crucial, as is ensuring inclusive participation in European decision-making. I am considering launching an inquiry on the issue of integrity to ensure that there is clarity at the institutions’ level.”

The ombudswoman criticised the delays in forming an independent ethics body at the EU Parliament. She called for greater cooperation from national authorities, recalling that hers is: “A small office with a huge mandate, which could not function without its partners,” especially without the contribution of civil society and NGOs. Regarding the latter, Aljinho acknowledged the issue raised by the Court of Auditors, which accused the European Commission of providing “inaccurate and incomplete” information regarding the funding of NGOs working in the area of internal policies. “The issues go to the heart of the Ombudsman’s oversight and monitoring mandate, dealing with issues of maladministration that affect not only reputation but the funding vehicle itself. It will be my responsibility to understand exactly what happened and ensure that the Commission’s allocation of funds is done according to the rules.”

On deregulation, she expressed the need to simplify the institutional set-up without undermining its transparency and accountability. She reiterated that the European Commission can and must do more to ensure clarity in decision-making processes: “Forty-two per cent of the complaints we received in 2024 were about access to documents, and if there is no transparency, citizen participation is undermined, and this damages the European democratic space.” To instil confidence in Europeans, the EU institutions must, therefore, lead by example: “If we are able to communicate what we are accomplishing, what exactly our role is, and what our impact has been, we will gain not only confidence but also public awareness.”